MUNCIE, Ind. — An attorney representing the former manager of the Muncie Rural King store has sued an intellectually disabled customer and his parents over an attack that left the former manager disabled.

The lawsuit accuses Bruce and Rebecca Thomas, from Wayne County, of failing to supervise their son, Colt, who allegedly wandered into a restricted hallway and clubbed Greg Collett on the head.

Muncie police had closed their investigation of the October 2016 attack without identifying a suspect, but they reopened it after Linda Pence, an Indianapolis attorney representing the family pro bono, began her own investigation.

After The Star Press, working with Pence, published a surveillance photo of the suspect as well as a physical description, the suspect was identified as Colt, from the Centerville/Richmond area.

A surveillance photo released by police of the suspect in the attack on Greg Collett.(Photo11: Provided)

The investigation

An investigation by police and the Delaware County prosecutor concluded that neither Colt nor his parents were criminally answerable for the attack.

Collett's wife, Judy, told The Star Press last year that her husband still had stabbing head pains almost daily, and constant ringing in the ears. He was now seizure-prone, and he experienced random muscle jerking episodes that usually lasted a couple of minutes.

Investigations by police and Pence revealed that Colt was fascinated by canes, and that he picked up a cane, in the restricted hallway, that had been left in the store by a customer.

An employee in a nearby break room overheard Collett say, "I'm sorry, those canes aren't for sale." The employee then heard a thud as the cane whacked Collett on the head. Collett pulled the cane away from the customer, stumbled into the break room and collapsed. The employee only saw the customer's profile, but other workers got a good look at him earlier.

Police believe the parents didn't know that Collett had been attacked. After Collett was injured, Bruce and Colt Thomas were seen on surveillance video leaving the store, while Rebecca Thomas waited in the checkout line to make a purchase.

The lawsuit

The lawsuit, filed by Indianapolis attorney Karl Popowics, says Colt struck Collett accidentally and "without appreciation for the seriousness and consequences of his actions."

The suit, however, accuses Colt and his parents of negligence — him for not conducting himself in the manner of a reasonably prudent shopper, and them for failing to control and supervise him.

Collett was hospitalized for treatment of severe injuries that became permanent, according to the lawsuit.

Greg Collett before the attack.(Photo11: Provided)

The alleged negligence caused Collett to suffer personal injuries, to endure pain and suffering, to incur medical expenses, to suffer a loss of income, to suffer loss of enjoyment of life, and to suffer permanent injuries, the lawsuit filed in Delaware County reported.

His wife suffered loss of consortium. The couple reside in Henry County.

The Thomases have not yet filed a response to the Delaware County lawsuit.